Temporary Plates

The MI SOS offers
temporary registration permits if you do not plan to use for your vehicle for long periods of time. You can apply for:

A permit valid for 30 days. The fee is:

The greater of 1/10 of the usual registration fee OR $20.PLUS

A $10 service fee.

A permit valid for 60 days. The fee is:

The greater of 1/5 of the vehicle registration fee OR $40.PLUS

A $10 service fee.

You or a representative can apply for a temporary permit
in person at a Michigan SOS office. You will need:

Proof of ownership, such as the vehicle title.

Proof of car insurance.

Payment. (See fees above.)

Apply for License Plates in MI

To get your Michigan license plates, you’ll need to register your vehicle with the MI SOS.

When you
move to Michigan, you must register your vehicle as soon as you become a MI resident.

When you
buy a vehicle, you have 15 days to title and register it. You can drive it home without license plates within 3 days of buying it as long you have the title certificate (in your name) in the vehicle.

Fees for Michigan License Plates

The license plate fees below
DO NOT include other fees that you may have to pay (e.g., taxes, title fees, service fees, or postage fees).

New standard plates: The fee is based on MSRP or vehicle weight, depending on the age of the vehicle. See our Vehicle Registration page for more details.

Renewal of standard plates: The fee decreases by10% less than the new plate fee per year for the first 3 renewals. After 3 renewals, the fee remains the same.

Replacements:

License plates: $5.

Tabs: $5.

Transfer fee:

$8 PLUS any difference in registration fees.

Specialty & Personalized Plates

Plain vanilla may be fine for your ice-cream, but you've got more choices than ever at the License Plate Store.

In addition to the registration cost for your vehicle, the
fundraising plates―for universities and special causes―$35 the first year, with $25 going to your selected cause or university. In subsequent years, the plates are $10 in addition to the registration renewal fee. The $10 goes to the university or cause each year.

University Logo Plates

Want to let everyone know that you're a grad, supporter, or fan of the University of Michigan? That's easy. Available university plates include:

Central Michigan University

Eastern Michigan University

Ferris State University

Grand Valley State University

Lake Superior State University

Michigan State University

Michigan Technological University

Northern Michigan University

Oakland University

Saginaw Valley State University

University of Michigan

University of Michigan, Dearborn

University of Michigan, Flint

Wayne State University

Western Michigan University

Special Cause Plates

Agricultural Heritage

Children's Trust Fund

Lighthouse Preservation

Veteran's Memorial

Water Quality

Wildlife Habitat

Patriotic Plate

Olympic Education ($25)

Veteran/Military Service Plates

These plates are only available to veterans who were honorably discharged. There is an initial
$5 service fee. You'll need to fill out an Application for Veteran License Plate (Form BDVR-87) for these plates and turn it in at a Secretary of State branch office.

Air Force Veteran

Army Veteran

Coast Guard Veteran

Combat Wounded Veteran (Purple Heart)

Cuban Missile Crisis

Disabled Veteran

Dominican Republic Veteran

Ex-Prisoner of War (Ex-POW)

Grenada Conflict Veteran

Korean War Veteran

Laos Conflict Veteran

Lebanon Conflict Veteran

Marine Corps Veteran

Medal of Honor

Military Reserve Member

National Guard Member

Navy Veteran

Panama Conflict Veteran

Pearl Harbor Survivor

Persian Gulf (Desert Storm) Veteran

Somalia Conflict Veteran

Vietnam War Veteran

World War I Veteran

World War II Veteran

Personalized Plates

Perhaps you'd like to make your wheels stand out a little from all the other road warriors you commute with every day. Maybe send a message to that turkey who seems to tailgate you all the way into Detroit from Ann Arbor? Or maybe you just want the world to know who you are?

Michigan's
Secretary of State makes it easy to personalize your license plates with an interactive service called Plate It Your Way that allows you to try out number and letter combinations on one of the many license plate styles available to you.

The service automatically blocks most rude or offensive words, and
Secretary of State employees review vanity plate requests for good taste before a plate is issued.

In addition to your registration fee, you can personalize the standard blue-and-white plate for
$30 (with $15 renewals). You can also personalize any graphic or fundraising plate for $30 plus the cost of the graphic plate.

All personalized license plates must be applied for at a
Secretary of State branch office.

Antique (Historical or Authentic) License Plates

Historical Plates

You can apply for historical plates if your prized vehicle is
26 years old or older, owned as a collector's item and used only in parades, exhibitions or car club activities. You cannot use a designated historical vehicle for everyday functions such as driving to and from work or running errands.